LOS ANGELES (AP) — Marcus Morris Sr. scored 27 points and Luke Kennard added 25 as the Los Angeles Clippers sped to a 17-point lead in the first half and beat the Houston Rockets 142-111 Thursday night in the final game before the NBA’s All-Star break.
Terance Mann scored 20 points as the Clippers won for the third time in four games. Los Angeles shot 51.4% (18 of 35) from 3-point range, and had a 50-35 rebounding advantage. Kennard went 8 of 9 from 3-point range in his last game before Saturday’s 3-point contest.
Jalen Green had 21 points and Jae’Sean Tate added 19 for the Rockets, who lost their seventh straight game and for the 11th time in 12 games. Christian Wood and Josh Christopher scored 13 points apiece for Houston, which appeared to run out of energy one night after nearly pulling off a road upset over the Phoenix Suns.
The Clippers had their first double-digit lead of the game at 24-14, with 5:46 remaining in the first quarter. They led by 17 at 54-37 with 6:54 remaining in the first half and were up 71-59 at the break.
Los Angeles shot 58% (29 of 50) from the field in the first half and 63.2% (12 of 19) from 3-point range in the opening 24 minutes. The Clippers finished at 54.9% from the field.
The blowout widened in the third quarter as the Clippers reached the 100-point mark on a Kennard 3-pointer with 1:01 remaining in the period, and took a 107-79 lead into the fourth quarter.
Reggie Jackson had 12 points and a season-high 14 assists for the Clippers. Ivica Zubac had 13 points and 10 rebounds, and Amir Coffey and Isaiah Hartenstein each scored 13 points. Hartenstein and Mann added eight rebounds.